SJR 385

Commission on Educational
Accountability

June 18,
2001, Richmond

Although not specifically assigning
additional issues to the commission or its task forces for consideration,
SJR 385 (2001) notes that "another year of study will enable the Commission
to pursue more fully its mission and to address more effectively the myriad
of educational accountability issues assigned to it...."

HB 2823

The commission has, however,
been requested by the chairman of the Senate Committee on Education and
Health to "include the concepts presented in HB 2823 in its 2001 study
plan and make any recommendations or findings on this matter as it may
deem appropriate." The measure would have created the Educators' Higher
Education Opportunity Program, comprised of the voluntary contributions
of educators employed on a full-time basis as licensed instructional or
administrative personnel in good standing by a public school board in
Virginia, to fund savings trust accounts pursuant to the Virginia College
Savings Plan. The Board of Education must make an annual contribution
to the fund on behalf of eligible educators who have completed five years
of full-time employment in a seven-year period. Savings trust account
funds cannot be disbursed prior to an eligible educator or designee being
admitted and enrolled at an eligible institution. The board, in consultation
with the board of the Virginia College Savings Plan, shall establish regulations
addressing (i) minimum amounts of educator contributions to the fund;
(ii) amounts of annual board contributions to accounts in which the educator's
interest has vested; (iii) changes in employing school boards; iv) the
voluntary participation of local school boards in making contributions
to the fund on behalf of employees; and (v) such other matters as it deems
necessary for the implementation of the program.

Task Forces

Also continued by the resolution
is the work of the commission's three task forces: the HJR 566 (1999)
Task Force on the Educational Needs of the 21st Century; the HJR 723 (1999)
Task Force on the Impact of the Standards of Accreditation on Local School
Division Budgets; and the HJR 302 (2000) Task Force to Examine the Need
for Appropriate Alternative Forms of Standards of Learning Assessments
for Students Receiving Special Education and Related Services.

Multiple Criteria and Remediation Legislation

Reviewing recent legislative
actions addressing multiple criteria for school accreditation, graduation,
and promotion and retention and remediation, the commission examined actions
of the 2000 and 2001 Sessions. Having considered and ultimately carried
over a number of measures from the 2000 Session addressing the Standards
of Learning (SOL) assessments and "multiple criteria" for school accreditation
and diploma purposes, the House Committee on Education agreed in 2000
that a special subcommittee be appointed to examine the issues raised
and to develop a single measure for consideration by the 2001 Session.

This special subcommittee primarily
addressed multiple criteria for school accreditation purposes; HB 2163
was the recommended measure produced by the group. Additional measures
introduced in the 2001 Session addressed the use of SOL assessments within
diploma requirements, the inclusion of SOL test scores of certain students
for school accreditation purposes, retaking of SOL assessments, and other
issues. Although only two of the reviewed measures (HB 2144/SB 1324 and
HJR 608) were enacted, review of the remaining measures was designed to
identify ongoing issues and concerns.

Measures relating to the use
of SOL tests generally included HB 2144/SB 1324, which was enacted, providing
that the boards of visitors or other governing body of Virginia's public
institutions of higher education cannot consider the accreditation status
of a Virginia public high school in making admissions determinations for
students who have earned a diploma in accordance with the regulations
of the board.

Discussion

Commission members expressed
the desire to continue exploration of the multiple criteria issue as well
as remediation concerns. Discussion focused on the roles of the commission
and the Board of Education's Advisory Committee on Accountability, as
some of the multiple criteria measures had been referred to the Board
of Education for consideration by the Senate Committee on Education and
Health. Also cited was the need to address vocational education students
within the SOL assessment structure, the effects of the SOL assessments
on those students who have not had the revised SOL curriculum throughout
their public education, the alignment of curriculum with SOL assessments,
adequacy of instructional materials, disaggregation of student scores,
and teacher training.

Department of Education representatives
provided an update on SOA revisions and the implementation of Standards
of Learning. Noted were the inclusion of diversity within the history
Standards of Learning; ongoing review of the teacher resource guide amplifying
the history SOL curriculum; and the approval of 81 substitute tests for
SOL assessments and the use of 72 various career and technical examinations
and licenses for obtaining verified units of credit. The Department of
Education is currently receiving school improvement plans for schools
accredited with warning and expects to receive additional plans by October.

Next Meeting

Following review and approval
of a draft work plan, the commission scheduled its next meeting for August
7 and discussed the possibility of examining board regulations addressing
remediation, the Commonwealth Educational Policy Institute (CEPI)(VCU)
survey regarding the SOL tests, studies regarding the efficacy of year-round
schools and intervention/remediation, board action regarding the referred
multiple criteria bills, and the VCU Metropolitan Educational Research
Consortium (MERC) study of the effectiveness of remedial summer school.